Chapter 130: The Teacher of the Class

“Shh, speak softly, speak softly!” Jing Wang, with wide eyes, put his index finger to his mouth, warning Chen Ji and Bai Li.

He turned his head to look behind him, confirming that no one was paying attention to them, then looked at Chen Ji and Bai Li. "I went to great lengths to secretly disguise myself and slip out. What are you shouting about!"

Bai Li said doubtfully, "Dad, you teach me and my brother every day not to climb walls, yet you still climb walls yourself?"

Jing Wang smiled. "Look at the way you talk. Your dad here walked out through the main gate."

Bai Li also smiled. "General Wang is on duty at the main gate. I'll go ask him."

Jing Wang hurriedly pulled Bai Li's arm. "I climbed out. I climbed out from the medical hall side."

Chen Ji said doubtfully, "Your Highness, you're going out like this in plain clothes. What if something happens? We might not be able to bear it."

Jing Wang laughed and said, "I'm just a cart driver now. As long as you don't say anything, who will bully a cart driver?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment but continued to advise, "You should still bring some guards. Or let Feng Da accompany you to take care of your food, drink, and daily life?"

"No." Jing Wang raised his voice. "If I let them follow, they'll advise me every day that I can't eat this, can't drink that, can't do this, can't go there. What's the point of going out in plain clothes? Moreover, this literary gathering is very lively. If I go as Jing Wang, everyone will inevitably feel constrained."

Chen Ji sighed. "Before, I was still puzzled about why the Crown Prince had such a personality. It turns out he takes after you."

Jing Wang raised his eyebrows. "How do you feel about scolding someone, young man? How are he and I alike? At his age, I was already playing those civil officials like a fiddle."

Chen Ji said seriously, "Your Highness, everyone recognizes you. Within a morning, everyone will discover your identity."

Jing Wang waved his hand. "It doesn't matter. By then, I'll already be out of Luo City. The sky is high, and the sea is wide."

Chen Ji interrupted, "Your Highness, furthermore, let's not even talk about your plain clothes patrol. As you can see, I'm really not suited to studying classics, nor do I intend to enter officialdom. Why not let me withdraw from school? As for the border army military funds, how can they change because of me alone? Matters of family and country are too important to be handled so childishly."

Jing Wang was silent for a moment, then said meaningfully, "I won't use the great righteousness of family and country to bind you. How about this, you only need to study until next spring, and I'll owe you one favor. Afterward, if you have something to ask of me, as long as it doesn't harm the Ning Dynasty state and people, I can help you once. How about it?"

Chen Ji did not answer.

Although he was just a mere apprentice at a medical hall, he was now letting the Prefect of Luo City, a real power vassal king, owe him a favor. It did indeed sound good, but how could this favor be cashed in?

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Then I have something to ask of you now, Your Highness. It's too dangerous for you to go out in plain clothes. Why don't you go back..."

Before he could finish, Jing Wang's expression changed, and he interrupted, "Stop, young man. You are still young and fundamentally don't know what you want most. How can you lightly use up this favor?"

At this moment, Chen Wen Xiao on the cart shouted, "Cart driver, cart driver, let's go."

Jing Wang hurriedly lowered his voice. "Coming."

He lowered the brim of his straw hat and walked to the front of the cart, sitting down with his back to everyone. With a casual flick of the whip, the old yellow ox pulled the cart forward slowly.

Bai Li smiled and placed the cloth package with the talisman into Chen Ji's embrace. "Everyone in the world knows that my dad's promise is worth a thousand gold. You'd best think about how to make good use of this favor. Don't forget to eat the pastries."

After saying that, she chased after the cart for a few steps, then lightly leaped and sat backward on the end of the cart, her legs hanging outside, swinging up and down with the bumps of the cart.

Bai Li patted the Crown Prince beside her. "Brother, this time we're out, you must remember what Dad instructed. You're not allowed to drink alcohol for a month."

The Crown Prince let out a cold laugh. "Heh... I'm already out of Luo City. Can he still control me?"

Bai Li's eyes were bright. "Brother, that's not good. What if Dad finds out?"

The Crown Prince waved his hand carelessly. "Even if he knows, what then? I'm already past the coming-of-age year. Do I still need to look at whose face I drink alcohol?"

Bai Li let out a long "oh." "Truly amazing!"

Seeing Jing Wang sitting at the front, his action of swinging the whip paused for a moment, then the whip fell heavily, making the old ox moo and speed up its pace.

The street was bustling with pedestrians, an ox cart, a horse, and a young man walking behind.

It was a rare clear and refreshing winter day. Chen Ji suddenly felt that going out for a study trip was not bad. He could temporarily escape from the right and wrong, the hustle and bustle.

He followed the ox cart unhurriedly and slowly, untying the cloth package in his embrace.

The package contained pastries from Zheng Xin Zhai: honey three knives, gold hemp crisp, peach crisp, opening laugh...

Just as he was eating, there was a sound of hooves. Zhang Xia rode her horse beside him, glancing at the pastries in his hand, and casually asked, "Your relationship with the Crown Prince and County Lord is very good, ah. The County Lord actually specially prepared pastries for you."

Chen Ji turned his head and looked at her. "The Crown Prince, the County Lord, and I are friends!"

Zhang Xia was doubtful. "Friends?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "You don't have friends?"

Zhang Xia said straightforwardly, "No. After coming to Luo City, those who want to be friends with me either want to beg for some silver or want to ask my dad to handle matters. I don't need this kind of friend."

Chen Ji said casually, "With the Xu family's connections, it might not be easy to become friends with Miss Zhang San."

Zhang Xia suddenly said, "My name is Zhang Xia. You don't need to keep calling me 'Miss Zhang San'."

Chen Ji casually replied, "Okay, Zhang Xia!"

Just at this moment, Bai Li saw Chen Ji walking behind and turned to Wang Dao Sheng. "Teacher, Chen Ji has already walked several li. Why not let him get on the cart?"

Teacher Wang put down the book roll in his hand and silently looked at Chen Ji.

Bai Li saw that there was a possibility and hurriedly added, "Look, he's already been punished. He definitely won't be late again next time. It's still more than forty li to Yi Chuan County city. If he walks all the way, his shoes will be worn out."

Teacher Wang said to Jing Wang, "Please stop for a moment."

Jing Wang pulled the reins without turning his head.

The ox cart slowly stopped.

Just as Bai Li was about to wave her hand and let Chen Ji get on the cart, she saw Teacher Wang jump down from the cart.

He said to Jing Wang, "Continue driving."

Everyone was shocked. "Teacher, what are you doing?"

Teacher Wang patted the dust off his body and smoothed out his wrinkles. "It's good that the County Lord reminded me. Since I have received tuition fees, I am Chen Ji's teacher. If he makes a mistake, I also have responsibility and should be punished together. You all stay on the cart. I will walk with him to Yi Chuan County city."

Chen Ji opened his mouth and said, "Teacher, you don't need to do this."

Teacher Wang still shook his head. "This has nothing to do with you. I am just following my heart."

Chen Ji felt somewhat ashamed. "Sorry, student will not be late again in the future."

Teacher Wang still used the book roll to brush the dust off his shoulder. "No, if there are matters more important than studying classics again, you should still go and do them!"

"Huh?"

Teacher Wang said calmly, "What Zhi Xing Book Academy can teach you is just the principle of being a person, and this principle is just to act according to your heart. The heart of pity that wants to help when you see a beggar fall is the heart, and the heart of justice that draws a sword to help when you see injustice on the road is also the heart. When your heart arrives, go and do it. There's nothing wrong!"

Chen Ji was a little doubtful.

The always serious Teacher Wang rarely smiled. "If you just miss one of my classes, I can lecture you again, but some matters, once missed, are missed forever."

Chen Ji took a deep breath. "Student understands."

He suddenly felt that this Teacher Wang seemed different from the literati he had ever seen.

"I'll walk too!"

Bai Li supported herself with both hands on the cart and jumped down neatly. She walked side by side with Chen Ji, the red jade carp pendant on her collar like a plum blossom in winter.

The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly jumped off the cart, complaining, "A good cart to ride in, but you insist on walking. Are you all crazy..."

Chen Wen Zong wanted to get up, but was held down by Chen Wen Xiao. "Brother, what do you want to do? If he makes a mistake, he should bear it himself. Why should we be punished together? If we walk all the way to Yi Chuan County city, our feet will be covered in blisters."

Chen Wen Zong sighed and finally sat back down.

Zhang Xia looked at the people walking, suddenly jumped off her horse, led the reins, and walked with Bai Li.

Bai Li glared at her. "What are you doing down here?"

Zhang Xia said boldly, "We are all classmates. We share blessings and misfortunes."

The Crown Prince gave a thumbs-up. "Jianghu children."

The ox cart slowly went out of the south city gate, and they saw many refugees gathered outside the city, living in sheds. They relied on the government to provide porridge every day for survival.

The Crown Prince asked, "Haven't you all heard? The night before last, there was almost a civil unrest outside the west city gate. Finally, it was Master Zhang Zhuo who transported grain in time and also caught the bad people who instigated the civil unrest among the disaster victims. This only suppressed the matter."

Chen Wen Zong sat at the end of the cart and looked at the Crown Prince as he answered, "I heard my father mention it. He said that the situation was extremely dangerous that day, and the disaster victims almost rushed into Luo City to burn, kill, and loot."

The Crown Prince said, "It is said that there was a masked person wearing a conical hat outside the city that night who acted as a hostage, promising that the grain would definitely arrive by the mao hour. This only delayed the disaster victims for more than two shichen. In the past two days, storytellers in every teahouse have been outside the city, interviewing the disaster victims about the events of that night, planning to compile the matter of this masked person into a story."

Zhang Xia led the reins and said admiringly, "My dad said that was a young hero. He didn't panic when his face changed, and he wasn't afraid in the face of danger. He can be a general. At that time, he not only delayed the disaster victims but also found out the dead soldiers planted by the Liu family among the disaster victims. He was very powerful."

Bai Li subconsciously glanced at Chen Ji.

The day before yesterday, wasn't that the day Chen Ji was late?

She didn't know why she thought of Chen Ji, and there was no half evidence to say that person was Chen Ji.

But in the deepest part of her impression, Chen Ji was also masked and did not panic when his face changed, and was not afraid in the face of danger.

Chen Wen Xiao suddenly said disdainfully, "What young hero? That's the eunuch party."

Zhang Xia glared at him. "So what if he's from the eunuch party? The eunuch party also really saved people."

Chen Wen Xiao retorted, "How can we call them heroes just because the eunuch party occasionally does one good deed? Do they deserve it? My dad said that if anyone in the Chen family associates with the eunuch party, their legs will be broken."

Bai Li suddenly felt again that the person outside the city should not be Chen Ji. Was it just because Chen Ji saved her that night, then killed the six secret agents of Si Li Jian?

How could someone who killed people from the eunuch party be from the eunuch party?

Teacher Wang on the side did not pay attention to their argument, but walked to the porridge shed and said to the officer from the Luo City government office, "Starting today, register and make a list. Among the disaster victims, those with children can get half a portion more porridge. If a child is lost afterward, this household will not be allowed to get porridge again!"

The officer said impatiently, "Who are you, ah? Get out of the way. Is it your turn to point fingers? Grandpa will give whatever he wants to give."

Teacher Wang was not angry and just said politely, "Then you tell Zhang Zhuo that Wang Dao Sheng said this. He will understand."

Zhang Xia asked curiously, "Why is it that if a child is lost, the whole family is not allowed to get porridge again?"

Chen Ji explained casually, "Perhaps it is to prevent someone from exchanging children for food!"

Zhang Xia was shocked. "Exchanging children for food? How could parents do such a thing?"

Chen Ji said calmly, "In a year of great disaster, there are only strong and weak!"